The Best of Intentions
by TooEarlytoCare
Summary: Next chapter added. Read and review!
1. Prologue

_Here's my second fic ever, be kind. Could be more than a oneshot, not sure yet. I've always loved the character of Mimi and I love her in just about every pairing. It's great she's finally getting some good storyline now, I'm still hoping Farah Fath will continue her contract and won't leave in February. Anyway, on with the story. I hope you enjoy it._

Maybe Phillip was right. Maybe she shouldn't judge him too quickly or harshly for taking Claire from Shawn and Belle. He wanted someone to love, someone to be loved by. Phillip's heart may have turned cold from his time in the military but underneath he knew he was the same person. She knew it, too. Phillip wasn't the type of person who could be alone; he thrived on love and companionship. The short time he'd been with Chloe before the Brady debacle had shown all of Salem the first glimpse of the real Phillip Kiriakis, the caring, sensitive Phillip. Mimi had come to treasure this Phillip as the best her close friend could be. She missed him when he left, but she knew his reasons for leaving. Phillip wanted a family and if he had to make the military his new family, he would. He needed to feel needed. She got that. Still, she missed the kindred spirit she could sometimes find in him.

Mimi knew that growing up hadn't been easy for Phillip. Kate and Victor could barely stand each other for most of his early years. She'd always felt a closeness with Phillip because of this. Having Bonnie for a mother had taken its toll on her. She could recognize someone with trust issues a mile away. She could also recognize someone who had never been through the uncertainties of a rocky childhood. Throughout school, Shawn and Belle just never understood the problems Phillip and Mimi faced. Their parents had overcome most of their big obstacles before they were born. Their parents were happy and in love. Shawn and Belle would never find their parents fighting, ruthlessly slinging verbal barbs at one another. They were never afraid that they'd come home from school with one parent or both packing to leave forever.

So in all honesty, she could understand Phillip's motives for taking Claire. When Rex left, all she wanted was someone to be there for her, to need her, to choose her. She'd looked to her old pal Shawn D. And for a time, he'd answered her call for love. All jealousy issues concerning Belle aside, she really did think she'd been in love with Shawn. She'd thought she could be all he needed and wanted in a wife. There was always one thing she couldn't be, though…Belle. Mimi wasn't stupid or clueless to the fact that Shawn still had feelings for Belle. She'd just thought she could make him not care so much, push Belle to the back of his mind and herself to the forefront. She lied and manipulated in order to get him to love her and need her. She'd done everything Phillip had accused her of. She'd done it willingly, believing it was for the best. Maybe that's what Phillip and Victor were thinking in taking Belle and Shawn to court. Victor was trying to make up for the pain he and Kate had caused Phillip since the day he was born and Phillip was trying to make a home for himself, a home he'd never had but wanted to make sure Claire had. They were both trying to make some rights out of a lot of wrongs. She couldn't fault them for that. God knows, she'd do the same with the mistakes she'd made if given the chance. What Phillip and Victor were doing wasn't right, but it didn't feel all wrong after she talked to Phillip either.

Mimi was no expert, so she wouldn't pretend to know all the answers to life's questions, but maybe both parties could be a little right in this scenario. Maybe she could understand where they were all coming from. Maybe she could be the voice of reason in a chorus of bias. Maybe she could convince Phillip not to leave the country with Claire. Maybe she could make Shawn and Belle understand Phillip's point of view and help them not hate him so much. Maybe the best of intentions could make a difference.


	2. Chapter 1

_I'm treating the first thing I posted as a prologue. This is the first official chapter. It veers off of the actual storyline after Mimi's talk with Phillip. She doesn't tell Shawn and Belle about his plan right away, opting, instead to confront Phillip herself._

Chapter 1 Standing outside of the Kiriakis mansion the next morning, Mimi was unsure how she was going to get through to Phillip. She didn't know if he would listen to her, but she had to try. Like he said, all of this was her fault in a lot of ways. Max might have told her to forgive herself, but she wouldn't be able to until all of this was over and everyone had finally found peace. If nothing else, Mimi Lockhart was a born peacemaker.  
After taking a moment to collect herself before facing Phillip, she knocked on the door expecting a maid or Henderson to answer and give her a look of extreme disdain. She got the look of disdain, alright, but it wasn't on the face of the hired help. It rested quite naturally on the face of Victor Kiriakis, the most intimidating man Mimi had ever come into contact with. She waited for his silent disapproval to be verbalized.

"What are you doing here, Mimi?" Victor was never one to disappoint.

"I-I came to talk to Phillip, Victor. Is he in?" 

"Individuals such as yourself are to refer to me with a respect due a man of my status. You address me as Mr. Kiriakis and only as Mr. Kiriakis."

A moment of stunned silence gripped Mimi's vocal chords, but she quickly recovered with her legendary fieriness. She had to do this. She had to make this right.

"Well, Mr. Kiriakis, someone who thinks so highly of himself should act the part and be a gentleman. You address me as Ms. Lockhart and maybe I can pretend to respect your so-called "status.""

Phillip, having just put Claire down for a nap, walked in right at this moment, just in time to hear his father grinningly say,

"Touché, Ms. Lockhart, Touché. Maybe I was wrong about you. You've got determination, something I see often in this town, but not in a good-natured sense."

"Thank you, Mr. Kiriakis. It's high time you realized your mistake in prejudging me. In the great words of Bachman-Turner Overdrive, you ain't seen nothing yet. Ah, there you are, Phillip. Can I speak with you?" Mimi said, also grinning.

"Mimi, we have nothing to talk about. This thing going on between Shawn and Belle and I is none of your business. Just leave it alone."

"No, I won't leave it alone until you agree to talk to me. You are all my friends so I'm making it my business. Phillip, I just—"

Victor cut Mimi off, but not to rebuke her as she thought he would.

"Phillip, you can take Ms. Lockhart into the library to talk if you wish. It may be beneficial to hear her out, don't you think?"

Not one to readily contradict his father, Phillip agreed and leading Mimi in the direction of the library said,

"Thank you, Father. We won't be long."

Walking in the other direction to his office, Victor couldn't help but think he may have underestimated Ms. Mimi Lockhart.

Meanwhile, in the library, Mimi was attempting to talk Phillip down from his feud with Shawn and Belle.

"Phillip, this isn't going to make anyone happy in the end. Shawn and Belle may have hurt you, but they were your friends at one point. They still can be your friend. You have to give Claire back to them, she's their daughter."

"Mimi—"

"No, I know, that's hard for you to hear, but someone's gotta tell you like it is. Your mother and Victor have been filling your head with little perfect fantasies for too long. Do you really think Claire is going to love you once she's old enough to know you took her away from her mother and father? Do you think she'll be happy with the childhood you and Victor give her?"

"Mimi, stop! Claire is my daughter in the ways that matter. I raised her the first year of her life. I was there for her, the devoted father she needed while Belle and Shawn were busy sneaking around trying to be with each other behind my back, behind your back, too! I can give her everything she ever wants. I can make her happy."

"The way you had everything you ever wanted? Ask yourself, Phillip, were you content growing up in wealth and privilege? You may have had everything you wanted, but did you have everything you needed? Were you happy, really happy?"

When he didn't immediately answer her, Mimi didn't know what to say.

"Phillip?"

"Meems, my god. What am I doing? I just wanted to do what I thought was best for Claire. Do you really think she could end up like me if I don't give her back?"

"Philip, what are you talking about? End up like you? What's wrong with you?"

"What isn't wrong with me?! I'm stealing a child I have no biological ties to, the child of my former best friend and the woman I was once so in love with, I'd die for her."

"Oh, Phillip, there's nothing wrong with you. You just got turned around. We all make mistakes. This isn't all your fault. You, Shawn, Belle, me, we've all played a part in this. What matters is what's best for Claire."

"I was wrong to say those things to you, Mimi. I'm sorry. How did things get like this? How did we get to this point?"

"Good question, Philly boy, good question. I ask myself that everyday."

Phillip couldn't help but laugh. It felt good. It'd been a long time since he had laughed. Soon, Mimi was laughing along with him. It'd been a long time since she had laughed, too. Maybe if they could set things right with Belle and Shawn, everything would start to look up. After all, an all-out laughing fit between old friends had to be a good sign, right?


End file.
